Basic Camping Hammock Setup

Camping is always exciting! Be it the thrills of exploring or relaxing to take your mind off things, it is a definite thing to add to your to-do list. It’s always a pleasure to spend some time with nature. Hammock camping may be an estranged word to few of the beginners out there. In reality, it isn’t that much hard to learn. If you’re wondering what’s hammock camping right now, then read on to find more!

   To dig into some history of how hammock camping came about ( I know histories are boring but I’ll try to make this one interesting) , no one knows exactly how hammocks came into play, it’s not that much of a big deal, campers basically use hammocks – you know the sling kind of thing made of ropes suspended between two points – rather than opting for conventional tents. Yeah, that pretty much explains the basic idea of hammock camping in a single sentence! – Hammocks over tents!

   Now you may wonder why campers switched to hammocks. The fact that they are cheaper and lighter makes them affordable and easier to carry far. They do not harm the environment unlike few tents does. Another reason is that campers find hammocks more comfortable to sleep than lying on rock solid grounds. That makes plus points for hammocks! Furthermore, they are more secure. They protect you from ground risks. I mean the tiny creatures that dwell in the ground like arachnids, or the killer bugs! You wouldn’t want to risk your life, do you? Stony grounds or slopes or flooded floors, a hammock can always come in handy. And with the best camping knives out there, camping is going to be easy too.

   One basic thing you need to know when it comes to hammock camping is that, you don’t exactly need a suspension to put it up. It’s just an option to set up that way. What do you do when there are supports unavailable? Simple! you set up the hammocks on the ground. In these situations, you can just turn your hammock into a ground tent. You can also use a tarpaulin over your hammock to protect you from the weather. If you are an ardent camper then you may have heard of the principle “Leave No Trace” Camping.

Why am I stating this? Well, it’s because that hammock camping is a suitable candidate that applies to this principle. It’s very hard, well quite hard, to detect the places of hammock camping, because usually, they stay off the grounds. So if your hammock camping, then chances are that it’s probably hard to tell you’ve actually been there!

There are three simple steps to begin with the basics of hammock camping.

Firstly, find some trees near your camping spot. Not just trees, it must be the sturdy ones. Another important thing to note here is that, the trees should be at least 4 – 5 m apart from each other. Remember what I said about the ‘Leave No Trace’ principle? Yeah, these hammocks leave no mark on the barks of trees. Neither do they damage them. Usually, hammocks come with webbing straps, mostly the removable types. They are also referred as the ‘Tree- Huggers’. They are basically easy to use and you can put them up in no time.

Now that you have found your trees, we will move onto the second step. You must fix your height from the ground to the point where the hammock should be hung. Generally speaking, if your on uneven grounds then you might want to take some caution so that the hammock might be evenly hung between the trees at the same relative height.

        Attach about one inch of webbing straps around the trees to the protect the barks.

  Let’s jump into the fun apart! Once your straps are fixed onto the barks, we have to tie the hammock rope to the straps. The rope can be directly attached to the straps through a carabiner. You can use loops to accomplish this or you can also go for the configuration style of your choice! Whatever it may be, towards the end be sure to tighten it up. Your hammock line must make a 30-degree attempt to the tree. This will help you reduce the load strain once the hammock is occupied. A ridgeline can help you to make a perfect set up.

Place your hammocks about chair height, above the ground level. That will do just fine. Congratulations!! You have successfully set up your very first hammock! Take a break and relax along your hammock. If you are not sure about the weather, don’t worry , you can always add a tarp to your hammock. This will surely protect you from the high winds and stormy rains. Just be sure to place the tarp ridgeline below the hammock straps. This way the tarp will remain closed while the hammock is occupied. You can also add a bug net to help you fight against bug bites.

  To make the best of your hammock, try lying at a slight angle to be more cozy and comfortable.  Next time you go for camping, be sure to follow these basics to set up your hammock. I’m sure you will find no difficulty in putting it up. Pick a good spot, gather your camping partners and have some fun. Happy Camping! Stay Safe! 🙂